LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Volleyball opens up its Conference USA home slate on Friday for two bouts with Sam Houston. The Aggies (9-6, 2-0) are fresh off a series sweep at Delaware, while the Bearkats (8-7, 0-2) most recently dropped both versus UTEP. The Aggies return for a four-match stay at the Pan American Center against both of CUSA's Texas programs. While in the City of Crosses, Mike Jordan's squad looks to improve on a 13-match home winning streak that spans back to last season. 
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Who: Sam Houston (8-7, 0-2 CUSA) at NM State (9-6, 2-0 CUSA)
Where: Pan American Center – Las Cruces, N.M.
When: Friday, Oct. 3 at 6:00 PM MT / Oct. 4 at 12:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatesports.com/stats
All-Time Record vs. Sam Houston: 7-3
Last Meeting: (6) Sam Houston 1 vs. (3) NM State 3 – Nov. 22, 2024 (CUSA Quarterfinals – El Paso, Texas)
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies opened their third season of Conference USA play on the road, taking the longest trip the league has to offer. NM State ventured 2,048 miles east to square off with Delaware, toppling the Blue Hens in both contests. The visitors staged a thrilling five-set comeback in the Friday bout before cruising to a three-set sweep a day later. 
 
With the victories, NM State secured a spot as one of five CUSA programs off to a 2-0 start in league action, with only one other doing so on the road (UTEP). The Aggies improved to 7-2 in their last nine matchups against league foes including the postseason. Additionally, the sweep bumped the group to 4-1 on Saturdays this season. Dating back to Oct. 21, 2023, NM State is now 13-1 on Saturdays versus CUSA opposition.
 
SERVE AND PROTECT
NM State leads Conference USA in total blocks (129) and aces (110) this season. The Aggies have held nine of their 15 opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage, doing so at a higher rate than last year's squad (16 of 33 matches). The 2024 unit also posted eight or more blocks in 16 of 33 contests. This fall's team, however, has tallied at least eight rejections in 12 of 15 matches thus far, ranking 34^th in the nation with 129 team blocks.
 
At the service line, NM State has been equally as dominant. The Aggies have averaged 1.90 aces per set, up from last year's 1.30 mark. Eleven aces stood as the group's high-water mark in 2024, which has already been eclipsed three times this campaign. In this year's season opener against Eastern Washington, the unit amassed 15 aces, falling just two short of the four-set program record. Additionally, on Sept. 13, Maggie Lightheart racked up seven masterful serves as part of a 14-ace night for the home team against New Haven. The Crimson & White have combined for six or more aces in eight of their past 10 outings, bringing their season total to 110 perfect serves to rank 13^th in NCAA Division I.

VOLLEY BOSS
Rilen Garcia was anointed as the captain for NM State Volleyball in the offseason ahead of her fourth season with the program. The vocal leader and local product has been a role model throughout her time with the Aggies since arriving in 2022. 
 
Last weekend, Garcia led her squad in assists across both matches, notching 26 on Friday and 21 in Saturday's sweep. She set a personal season high in the series opener before earning her second start of the campaign a day later. Her teammates are hitting .405 on her sets this season, highlighted by a .480 clip over two contests against the Blue Hens.
 
SWEET 16
As a true freshman, Kate Sinclair has made an immediate impact. The Canadian has entered the starting lineup in each of the past 14 matches and appeared in all but two sets. The middle blocker leads the team in total blocks, tallying 56 on the season, including six solo rejections. The first-year Aggie has posted four or more denials in six of the past eight outings, tallying 36 over the span while leading her team in six contests. 
 
Offensively, Sinclair's 66 kills have come on a .271 hitting percentage, highlighted by back-to-back eight-kill performances against UNM last month. In her last seven contests, she has finished with a clip of .350 or higher five times, including her career best of .462 at UNM (Sept. 16).
 
NOTHING LIGHTHEARTED ABOUT HER
In her first two years with the program, Maggie Lightheart cracked the starting lineup just three times. So far in 2025, the Las Cruces native has started all 15 matches and missed just one set. The junior has the most Aggie kills (157) this season following a 26-kill weekend in which she led the squad both times. Her 154 digs also place her second atop the team leaderboard after pacing the club in four of the first seven outings of 2025. 
 
Additionally, Lightheart paces Conference USA with 33 aces on the campaign, placing her fifth across all of NCAA Division I and ahead of last year's program leader (30, Martinez). The Sept. 17 five-set thrilling comeback against New Mexico was capped off by two straight aces from the outside hitter. The crowd of more than 1,400 strong erupted as the Mayfield High School product clinched her program's first win in the rivalry series since 2019.
 
TESS IS MORE
After a stellar high school career, Tess Fuqua left the City of Crosses to go play for Arizona. Before seeing action, she tore her ACL, missing all of the 2023 season. In the spring of 2024, she suffered the same injury once again, ruling her out for the entirety of that fall as well. The Centennial High School product decided to rehab back home, transferring to NM State ahead of Fall 2024, where she watched on from the Aggie bench.
 
This past offseason, Fuqua returned to the floor for her redshirt sophomore campaign. She started the first 14 matches to begin 2025, leading her team in kills seven times. Her 22 kills against Little Rock are the most by any Aggie in a single match this season. The Arizona transfer still ranks second on NM State with 139 kills, despite missing almost all of the Delaware series with an injury. Fuqua also ranks among the squad's top three in kills per set (2.90), digs (116), digs per set (2.42), service aces (16) and aces per set (0.33).
 
FEELIN' FOXY
Among the Aggies' 13 returners, few took a leap quite as large as Mia Fox. After notching just 17 kills and six blocks as a freshman, the middle blocker has accepted a much heavier load in 2025 as the lone returner at her position.
 
This year, Fox has amassed 110 kills and 51 blocks while starting all 15 matches. The sophomore has led the squad in denials on seven occasions, most recently setting a new career high with seven at Delaware last Saturday. In each of NM State's last three matches, she reached a double-digit total in kills, averaging a .243 hitting percentage.
 
PERSONNEL GROWTH
The 2025 roster stands at an average of 6-foot-0, nearly an entire inch above the final 2024 edition. This fall's squad boasts six Aggies of at least six feet tall that were not active on the 2024 club, including four newcomers. Freshman Jaelynn Kohli and transfer Ezgi Duzgezen each stand at 6-foot-3 in their first year with the program. Kate Sinclair (6-foot-4) and Zoe Ziegler (6-foot-6) would each have been the tallest on last year's team, with the latter coming in as the tallest on record in program history. Peyton Castillo and Tess Fuqua were also both inactive in 2024 as they recovered from injury. 
 
CAN'T GET RID OF 'EM
Over the offseason, several familiar faces returned to the Aggie staff. Twenty-eighth year head coach Mike Jordan brought back longtime assistant Chris Hertel after a season apart in which Hertel was head coach at Radford. Chelsea Rose, a member of the 2010 Aggie squad and former director of player development, also reclaimed a spot on the bench.
 
ENDLESS OPTIONS
With 20 student-athletes, the Aggies boast the largest roster in Conference USA for the second straight season. Additionally, six setters give the Crimson & White the most in the league once again. No other league program entered the season with more than four. 
 
LOCAL PRODUCTS
Seven Aggies hail from the Land of Enchantment, including four from Las Cruces. Rilen Garcia, Maggie Lightheart, Tess Fuqua, Bella Castro, Jazlyn Vasquez, Mia Mendoza and Makayla Martinez all call the Land of Enchantment home. Jaelynn Kohli also recently graduated from Eastlake High School in El Paso, Texas.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
Sam Houston is under the direction of Brenda Gray, who boasts a 784-597 record in her 42 years with the program. The Bearkats are out to an 8-7 start this season, most recently dropping both at home against UTEP, taking just one set. 
 
The squad is led on the floor by Chloe Monson, who averages 3.95 kills per set on a .206 clip. Avery Fowler orchestrates the offense with 7.15 assists per set while also averaging 2.60 digs per set, which is second to only Shaelin White's 4.28. At the net, Rachelle Reed and Chelsea Butler have combined for 86 of the team's 107 blocks this season.
 
Sam Houston and NM State met in the CUSA Championship Quarterfinals last November after splitting the regular-season series in Huntsville, Texas. The Aggies dropped the opening set before roaring back to win in four. The Crimson & White dominated the rest of the way, including a 25-8 drubbing in set two.
 
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